Surface Duo follows in the footsteps of the Apple iPhone

We followed for a long time the development of the dual-screen phone that would end up being called the Surface Duo. Microsoft's productivity tool, powered by Android, is not a foldable device like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 per se. What it is is a dual-screen device that is equipped with a remarkable hinge that turns a pair of 5.6-inch AMOLED panels each with a 1350 x 1800 resolution into a tablet-sized 8.1-inch 1800 x 2700 display. 

With Google and Microsoft optimizing some of the important Android and Office apps for the Duo's UI, the  device is powered by 2019's Snapdragon 855 chipset with 6GB of memory and 128GB or 256GB of 3.0 UFS storage. The phone's 11MP camera is equipped with an aperture of f/2.0 and the dual battery has a capacity of 3577. Thanks to the 18W fast-charger that comes in the box with the phone, the Surface Duo replenishes battery life at a decently fast speed.

The 128GB model is priced at $1,199.99 or 24 monthly monthly payments of $39.99. The 256GB unit will cost you $1,399.99 or 24 monthly payments of $43.33. The device can be purchased carrier locked to AT&T or unlocked from Microsoft. Besides AT&T, the unit will work in the U.S. with the Verizon and T-Mobile networks. And Time Magazine named the Surface Duo one of the Best Inventions of 2020. The magazine says, "Is it a phone or is it a notebook? In the case of Microsoft’s Surface Duo, the answer is it’s both. The dual-screen Android smartphone opens like a spiral binder, revealing a pair of screens. Unfold it and it’s a digital ­notebook—drag items from one app to another, expand a single app to fill both screens (perfect for reading), or use a Surface Pen to get some writing done on one screen while you chat on the other. You can also fold the device back over itself and use the single screen as a traditional cell phone. The Surface Duo feels like a concept device but also a glimpse into the future of mobile computing: it won’t replace your iPhone and its killer camera just yet, but it’s easy to see how it one day might."

The Surface Duo is not the first smartphone to be recognized by Time Magazine. In 2012, the iPhone 5 was named Time's Gadget of the Year and in 2007 the OG iPhone was named Time's invention of the year. Microsoft's Chief Product Officer Panos Panay disseminated a tweet last week that said, "Pumped to see @surfaceDuo on the @TIME's Best Inventions of 2020 list! We always say products are a reflection of the people who make them and I'm incredibly proud of the team for the passion they put into this device #TIMEBestInventions #SurfaceDuo."

Pumped to see @surface Duo on the @TIME's Best Inventions of 2020 list! We always say products are a reflection of the people who make them and I'm incredibly proud of the team for the passion they put into this device #TIMEBestInventions#SurfaceDuohttps://t.co/5cgVWxhdCG

— Panos Panay (@panos_panay) November 19, 2020